First of all, make sure you have the complete bee suit with gauntlets
before you try this heavy intrusion.  I see two solutions:
1.  The hive is constantly looking for the best "home" for their colony
possible.  They have "recon" bees perfoming just this function regularly.
The good news is that the standard hive box is about as ideal as it can get
for them.  Just placing a hive box next to the barrels with drawn comb and
a little bait  (pheromone or often just a tin of suger water or honey
inside the box) might be enough.  I have drawn a few swarms out of hard to
get at places this way.
2.  If you can open the barrels without destroying them (I'm sure the owner
doesn't want them destroyed), you can always cut the wild rounds of wax
away and put them in the hive box previously mentioned.  Careful not to
destroy the queen in the process.  The workers should follow.  But make
sure the barrel is no longer the safe home they thought it was.
 
If option one doesn't do the trick in about 12 hours, go to option 2.  If
option 1 works.  That is the easiest hive you ever captured.  good luck.
 
 
 
 
Hello all,
        I am a novice bee-haver and still have a lot to learn.  Today I ran
=
into a lady who has 2 whiskey barrels in a storage buikding in which =
bees have nested.  She told me that I could capture the bees if I want =
to.  What is the best way to get the bees out of the barrels? =20
                                        Thanks, Dave Williams